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CHINA / Background

China-New Zealand bilateral relations
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-03 10:19

I. Bilateral Political Relationship and major exchange of visits

A. Chinese Visits to New Zealand

Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and New
Zealand on 22 December 1972, the bilateral relations between China and
New Zealand have witnessed a smooth development with frequent exchanges
of visits and contacts between the leaders of the two nations.

Ulanhu, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress,visited New Zealand from 20 to 27 September,1997. Mr. Ulanfu
held separate meetings with Sir. Denis Blundell, Governor General of New
Zealand, acting Prime Minister Rt. Hon. B.E. Talboys, and Opposition
Leader Wallance Edward Rowling.

In March 1979, Vice Premier Chen Muhua visited New Zealand. During the
visit, Mme. Chen met with Sir. Keith Jacka Holyoake, Governor General of
New Zealand. Rt. Hon. R. D. Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and
Rt. Hon. B. E. Talboys, Deputy Prime Minister hosted separate welcoming
banquets for Vice Premier Chen. Mme. Chen also met with the Opposition
Leader Wallance Edward Rowling.

Vice Premier Li Xiannian visited New Zealand in May 1980 and held
separate meetings with Sir. R. D. Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand,
and the Opposition Leader Wallance Edward Rowling.

Zhu Xuefan, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, visited New Zealand from 30 November to 8 December
1982. Mr. Zhu held separate meetings with Sir David Stuart Beattie,
Governor General of New Zealand, Sir Robert David Muldoon, Prime Minister
of New Zealand, Richard Harrison, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the Opposition Leader Wallace Edward Rowling.

Hu Yaobang, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPC, paid a
visit to New Zealand in April 1985. Mr. Hu Yaobang held talks with Rt.
Hon. David Russell Lange, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and met with the
former Prime Minister Robert David Muldoon.

Vice Premier Wan Li visited New Zealand in September 1986. He held
separate meetings with Rt. Hon. David Russell Lange, Prime Minister of
New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Geoffrey W. R. Palmer, Deputy Prime Minister of New
Zealand, and Sir Gerry Wall, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In 1987, China and New Zealand agreed to establish a mechanism for the
two foreign ministries to conduct annual political consultation at vice
ministerial level. The consultation would be held in turns in each
other's capital.

Sun Qimeng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, paid a visit to New Zealand in August 1988. Mr. Sun
met with Rt. Hon. Geoffrey W. R. Palmer, Acting Prime Minister of New
Zealand, Rt. Hon. Russell Marshall, Foreign Minister of New Zealand,
Opposition Leader James Brendan Bolger, and Sir Kerry Burke, Speaker of
the House of Representative of New Zealand.

In November 1988, Premier Li Peng visited New Zealand. Premier Li held
talks with Prime Minister David Russell Lange and met with the Most
Reverend Sir Paul Alfred Reeves, Governor General of New Zealand, and
Opposition Leader James Brendan Bolger.

Vice Premier Zhu Rongji paid a visit to New Zealand in February 1992 at
the invitation of New Zealand Government. Vice Premier Zhu held separate
meetings with Dame Catherine Tizard, Governor General of New Zealand, Rt.
Hon.James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Opposition
Leader Helen Clark. Zhu also had talks with Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

President Jiang Zemin met with Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime
Minister of New Zealand, during APEC leaders informal meetings in Seattle
in November 1993.

Tian Jiyun, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, visited New Zealand in 1994. Tian held meetings with
Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Peter
Tapsell, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

State Councilor Chen Junsheng visited New Zealand in February 1995.

Vice Premier Zou Jiahua visited New Zealand in June 1995. Zou held
meetings with Dame Catherine Tizard, Governor General of New Zealand,
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, and Deputy Prime Minister
Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon.

President Jiang Zemin met with New Zealand Prime Minister James Brendan
Bolger in New York in October 1995 when attending the special
commemoration conference marking the 50th anniversary of founding of the
UN.

Premier Li Peng met with Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Deputy Prime Minister of
New Zealand, in Auckland in November 1996 during a stopover on his way to
Chile.

Vice Premier Zhu Rongji visited New Zealand in June 1997 at the
invitation of New Zealand Government. Zhu held separate meetings with Sir
Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister Rt.
Hon. James Brendan Bolger, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Rt.
Hon. Don McKinnon. Vice Premier Zhu also held talks with Rt. Hon. Winston
Peters, Treasurer of New Zealand.

President Jiang Zemin met with Rt. Hon. James Brendan Bolger, Prime
Minister of New Zealand, during the 5th APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in
Vancouver in November 1997.

Li Ruihuan, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference, visited New Zealand in December 1997. Chairman Li met with
Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister
Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Rt. Hon.
Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Rt. Hon. Don
Mckinnon and Opposition Leader Helen Clark. Li gave a speech at the
reception hosted by Prime Minister Shipley in commemoration of the 25th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two
countries.

Tung Chee-Hwa, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, visited New Zealand in June 1998. Mr. Tung held meetings with Rt.
Hon. Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Trade Rt. Hon. Don Mckinnon, Minister of Finance Rt. Hon.
Bill Birch and Opposition Leader Helen Clark.

Wei Jianxing, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of CPC
Central Committee, visited New Zealand in September 1998. Wei met with
Sir. Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand, Prime Minister
Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley and other New Zealand leaders.

President Jiang Zemin met with Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister of
New Zealand, during the 6th APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur
in November 1998.

At the invitation of Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New
Zealand, President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to New Zealand after
attending the APEC Leaders Informal Meeting in Auckland in September
1999. This is the first visit to New Zealand ever by the Chinese head of
state. During the visit, President Jiang met with Governor General Boys
and held talks with Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley. Both sides
expressed satisfaction with the steady development of the bilateral
relations and the positive progress made in the cooperation in various
fields over the past 27 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties
between the two countries.

At the invitation of the New Zealand Parliament, Mr. Zhou Guangzhao, Vice
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress,
paid a visit to New Zealand in February, 2000. In the capital city of
Wellington, Mr. Zhou met with Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, the Speaker of the
Parliament, Rt Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, Hon. Phil Goff, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Peter Hodgson, Minister of
Research, Science and Technology, and Hon. Jenny Shipley, Leader of the
Opposition. In Auckland, Mr. Zhou attended the banquet hosted by Hon.
Phil Goff, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with the Mayor of
Auckland, representatives of the New Zealand Chinese and Chinese student.

Mr. Zeng Qinghong, Alternate Member of the Politburo, Member of
Secretariat and Minister of the Organization Department of the C.P.C.
Central Committee, led a delegation to visit New Zealand in March 2000.
Mr Zeng met respectively with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, Hon.
Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Margaret Wilson,
Attorney-General, Hon. Trevor Mallard, Minister of State Services, Hon.
Max Bradford, former Minister of Defense and the representative of Rt.
Hon. Jenny Shipley, Leader of the Opposition, and attended the welcoming
banquet hosted by Attorney-General Hon Margaret Wilson.

Mr. Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress of China, held a bilateral meeting with Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt,
Speaker of the Parliament of New Zealand during the Conferences of
Presiding Officers of National Parliaments in September 2000.

Mr. Jia Qinglin, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee,
Secretary of CPC Beijing Municipal Committee visited New Zealand in May
2001. Mr. Jia held separate meetings with Rt. Hon. Jim Anderton, Acting
Prime Minister, Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Hon. Parekura Horomia, Minister of Maori Affairs, and Hon. Bill English,
Deputy Leader of Opposition.

Buhe, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress visited New Zealand in December 2001. He met with Rt. Hon.
Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Jim
Anderton, acting Prime Minister, Hon. Margaret Wilson, the Attorney
General, Hon. Matt Robson, Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and
Hon. Rodger Sowry, Deputy Leader of Opposition.

Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan visited New Zealand in March 2002. Mr. Tang
held talks with his New Zealand counterpart Hon. Phil Goff. He also
called on the Rt. Hon. Sylvia Cartwright, Governor-General, Rt. Hon.
Helen Clark, Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House
of Representatives, and members of the New Zealand-China Parliamentary
Friendship Group.

Mr. Wu Guanzheng, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee,
Secretary of the CPC of Shandong Province visited New Zealand in April
2002. He met with Rt. Hon. Jim Anderton, Deputy Prime Minister and Hon.
Jim Sutton, Minister of Agriculture and Trade Negotiations.

Mme. Peng Peiyun, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the
National People's Congress visited New Zealand in June 2002, and met with
Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of Representatives of New
Zealand.

At the invitation of Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of
Representatives of New Zealand, Yang Rudai, Vice Chairperson of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference visited New Zealand
from 15 to 18 December 2002, and met with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime
Minister and Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House of
Representatives. Mr Yang attended the celebration of the 30th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

On 22 December 2002, Premier Zhu Rongji and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan
exchanged congrutulatory messages on the 30th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries with Rt.
Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister, and Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Trade respectively.

Mr.Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress attended the reception held in Beijing celebrating the 30th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two
countries.

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